Water-closet-seat protector



(No Model.) T

J. H. ENGELHARDT, Jr.

WATER CLOSET SEAT PROTECTOR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1886.

Nv FETERSsPIwku-Lihwgmpher. Washington. 0.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrrca.

JOHN H. ENGELHARDT, JR, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

WATER-CLOSET-SEAT PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 34:7,586, dated August17, 886.

Application filed May 11, 1886. Serial No. 201,816. I (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I. JOHN H. ENGELHARDT, Jr., a citizen of theUnited-States, residing at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery andState of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in\Vater-Olosct Seat Protectors; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and totheletters and figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates. to improvements in protectors for the seats ofwater-closets.

It has for its object to provide a protector free from the objectionswhich obtain against those of ordinary construction.

It consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a blank as it is firstprepared. Fig. 2 is a top plan of my improved protector complete andtoilet attachment; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 00 wof Fig. 2, showing the flap bent down.

In manufacturing my device I employ any suitable material-fibroustextile, &c.which can be cut and pressed into form.

Machinery by which a complete protector is made by a single action ormovement thereof is employedby me in the manufacture of my device. I useheavy paper which is not easily torn, and which has a sufficientflexibility/to permit it to yield or bend under the weight of the personusing it. It is not my intention to use thin,light paper, because suchpaper is too easily torn and rendered useless. Besides,very lightpaperwould not answer for the complete protectorand toilet attachmenthereinafter described.

Each protector is made from a single sheet of paper, a, of any suitablecontour to adapt it to the closet-scat. A wide slit, to, ofapproximately oval form is made in the paper, whereby a flap, a, isformed. The contour of the opening formed by this slit is wider at itsrear than at its front end, corresponding to the usual shape of openingsin closet-seats.

In constructing my protector I prefer to remove a portion of the paper,so as to leave a space between the flap a and the body of the sheet, asshown in Fig. 1. This reduces the size of the flap, so that all possibleinterference between it and the main body is obviated. Vhen theprotector is laid flat upon thc'elosct-seat, the flap drops at once intoa vertical or nearly vertical position. The edge of the body a, next theslit, is pressed down, so as to form a tapered flange, a, which iswidest at its rear portion, and gradually diminishes in width till itruns out to nothing at its forward ends next the junction of the flap awith the said body. The purposes of tapering the flange are,that itpermits the use of the protector on different sizes of openings, andthat its rear wider portion will brace against the flap, and thus holdthe said protector in place. Vhen used 011 smaller or round openings,the flap will bend at a point inward from its junction between theextreme points of the slit,while the narrowness of the flange at itsfront ends permits the protector to lie practically flat upon the seat.The flange turned down in the tapered form shown provides protection toall portions of the person which would touch the seat in the absence ofa protector. hen placed upon the seat, the rear or Wider end of theflange lies against the rear portion of the opening tl1erein,while theflap bends down against the front end thereof, and the protector thusheld cannot be moved or easily displaced.

A further improvement is a bunch of toiletpaper, I), secured at or nearthe middle of the front end of the body a. I attach it at the middle forconvenience, so that it can be permitted to remain attached till afterthe protector has been used, and can then be detached withoutinconvenience to the person. It can be attached at the side or near onecorner. \Vhen attached at the middle, as shown, it will drop over theouter front edge of the seat,and aid in maintaining a firm position tothe pro-' tector. This toilet-paper may be secured by any well-knownmeans. I find it more easily done by a staple which can be driventhrough and clinched by the same machinery which cuts the slit a andcrimps the flange a. This toilet-paper may be medicated, if desired.

The protectors are detached from each other and are hung up in bunchesin the closet, so

ICO

that one of them may be readily taken, when desired.

I am aware that it is not new to have a seatproteetor provided with ahole having a downwardly-projecting flange extending entirely around thehole, and. that it is not new to have a sheet provided with a series ofperforations surrounding or nearly surrounding the central portion,which central portion is to be detached or broken loose by the user, soas to provide the necessary opening to correspond with the opening inthe seat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patand acting in opposition to the flap to hold the protectorin position.

3. A seat-protector provided with an opening, a flap depending from theforward por tion of the opening, a ilange depending from the rear of theopening, widened at its 1niddle and tapered to the plane of theprotector at its ends, and a bunch of toilet-paper depending from theouter edge of the protector and acting in conjunction with the flap andflange to hold the protector in place, substantiall y as set forth.

4:. lfihe herein shown and described seatprotector, as an improvedarticle of manufacture, in sheet provided with an approximately- Ushaped slot, widened at its rear and tapered at its ends, forming theilap a", the flange a, formed at the rear of the slot and widened at itsmiddle and reduced to the plane of the sheet at its ends, and a bunch oftoilet-paper depending from the front edge directly opposite the flap,for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN II. EJGELHARDTI, .l'n.

Wit nesses:

G. l. Hiram-1n, T. N. GRIFFIN,

